The 1919 Amritsar massacre, known alternatively as the Jallianwala Bagh massacre after the Jallianwala Bagh (Garden) in the northern Indian city of Amritsar, was ordered by General R.E.H. Dyer. On Sunday April 13, 1919, which happened to be ‘Baisakhi’, one of Punjab’s largest religious festivals, fifty British Indian Army soldiers, commanded by Brigadier-General Reginald Dyer, began shooting at an unarmed gathering of men, women, and children without warning. Dyer marched his fifty riflemen to a raised bank and ordered them to kneel and fire.
It is an important event in the history of India’s freedom struggle as it lead to the rise in the consciousness of the masses. It destroyed the myth of benign British rule and their image. Even various Moderates turned into nationalist and their demand for full independence emerged even more voracious. This event united India like never before and this mark the rise of Mass phase under the leadership of Gandhiji.
Gandhian phase started with all stake holders participating in freedom struggle be it harijans, peasants, women, student etc. Now raising voice against Britishers was not limited to certain educated class. This collective consciousness and nationalism rise eventually lead to successful events of Non cooperation movement, Civil disobedience movement and the quit India movement. This movement eventually won us the freedom.